Monument record MDO27996 - Cross Ridge Dyke, Melbury Down, Melbury Abbas and Compton Abbas

A cross dyke that runs broadly north-south across a narrow ridge connecting Melbury Hill with Compton Down terminating at each end just above the steep slope of a coombe. It survives as an earthwork bank and ditch and is cut near its northern end by Melbury Hill/Compton Down linear boundary. The record for this monument has been enhanced with support from Wessex Water.

A cross dyke that runs broadly north-south across a narrow ridge connecting Melbury Hill, which rises steeply to the west, with Compton Down to the south east, terminating at each end just above the steep slope of a coombe. It is one of five similar monuments in the vicinity at the end of the escarpment. It has a bank up to 10m wide and 2m high with a ditch on the uphill side 3.5m wide and up to 1m deep. A gap of approximately 30m at the centre of the cross dyke, on the crest of the ridge, may have been an original entrance, but this is an area which has been disturbed. The cross dyke is cut near its northern end by the linear boundary. Cross-dyke (87781979-87701953), running from NNE to SSW across a ridge which rises steeply westwards to the summit of Melbury Hill, lies at an altitude of over 600ft and extends across the parish boundary into Melbury Abbas. It is some 300yds in length and comprises a bank with a ditch on the uphill side. At each end the dyke runs out on the shoulder of the slope above a combe. A gap of 30yds occurs where the dyke crosses the parish boundary; it is probably an original entrance, but disturbance makes this difficult to prove. Some 57yds south of the boundary the ditch suddenly deepens, here, where the earthwork is best preserved, the ditch is 16ft wide and 5ft deep; the bank is 20ft across, and 8ft high from below and 2ft. high from above. Near the north end the dyke is cut by a deep hollow-way coming from Compton Down. <2-3> A linear earthwork of cross-ridge dyke type cuts NNE-SSW across the tip of Melbury Hill, terminating at each end on the head of steep natural re-entrants. Though situated on the lower slopes of Melbury Hill it does immediately overlook the narrow saddle connecting the hill to Compton Down in the south east. It consists of a steep sided ditch 3.5m wide and 0.6m deep, with downslope bank formed by the spoil from this ditch averaging 7.0m wide and up to 2.0m high on its downhill side. Some 32.0m from the north end the earthwork has been cut through and mutilated by a later boundary bank and ditch (ST 81 NE 7). A second break some 60.0m from this same end, may be an original controlled entrance gap. Resurveyed at 1: 2500. <4> ST 872200-885195. Ditch on Melbury Down. <5>

Record last edited

Mar 22 2022 2:31PM